Wearing a mask, Horacio Macedo puts pepperoni on a pizza he is making at Mondo’s Ristorante Italian on Friday. IAN MAULE/Tulsa World
Customers wait to pick up lunch orders at Trenchers Delicatessen in Tulsa on Friday. IAN MAULE/Tulsa World
Randy Pridgin (right) directs Shelby Aloisio to a customer’s car during lunchtime curbside service at Mondo’s Ristorante Italian on Friday. IAN MAULE/Tulsa World
Fans of dining out might need to hold off making dinner reservations beginning next month when area restaurants get the green light to reopen their dining rooms again.
Several restaurateurs surveyed in Tulsa were skeptical about reopening as early as May 1. Most aren’t certain exactly what the guidelines will entail and are taking a wait-and-see approach.
At that time, restaurants can follow phase 1 guidelines from the state concerning social distancing and sanitation requirements that arose out of the coronavirus pandemic. Personal care businesses, such as nail and hair salons, also may reopen under certain restrictions.
Some, such as Miranda Kaiser, owner of Laffa Medi-Eastern Restaurant & Bar, have strong opinions on the matter.
“Basically, I think it’s a dreadful idea, totally irresponsible and damned wrong,” she said. “I’m not making my establishment a petri dish of potential death that would subject my beloved staff family or guests to play roulette in.
“I will continue to cook for the food bank, pray unemployment doesn’t run out for my peeps and wait for my hero, Dr. Bruce Dart (executive director of the Tulsa Health Department), to tell us when it is a great time to open up.”
Maintaining social distancing might be the biggest obstacle for many restaurants, especially the smaller ones, according to Rob Aloisio, co-owner of Mondo’s Ristorante Italiano.
“We have only 16 tables and 16 bar seats,” he said. “If we have people 6 feet apart, we would only be able to seat six to eight tables. We actually would have to cut back on waitstaff as well, whereas right now we are killing it on curbside deliveries. We have 50 to 60 tickets up on the rack at one time on the dinner hour, so that’s basically like having 50 to 60 tables at one time.
“On the other hand, I am losing all of those beer, wine and cocktail sales, so we have a lot to think about before pulling the trigger. Once I get the entire guidance from city and state officials, the Aloisio family will make a decision that will be safe for all involved.”
Libby Billings, owner of downtown restaurants Elote Cafe, Roppongi and The Vault, is among those definitely putting off reopening.
“I’m not comfortable reopening my dining rooms that soon, and neither is my staff,” she said. “With Cinco de Mayo days later, I can’t imagine trying to control the crowds in a safe manner.
“For now, Elote and Roppongi will continue to serve no-contact delivery and to-go food. I’m going to keep The Vault closed for the time being since much of its business comes from private parties and gatherings of over 10. I’m going to play it safe rather than sorry,”
Johnna Hayes, co-owner of Bird & Bottle and The Bramble restaurants, is just now putting together a plan for some of her locations to offer curbside pickup and delivery.
“We have no intention of opening our dining rooms May 1,” she said.
“We will make week-by-week decisions, but for now, the safety of staff and guests remains our first priority.”
Thomas Regan, co-owner of Phat Philly’s in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, is hesitant about making a reopening prediction.
“I would rather be a Monday-morning quarterback on this one,” he said. “It’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I’m not sure that extra table spacing and reduced capacity will do anything to curb infections. You still will have multiple friends or families sitting together.”
Jennifer Alcott, owner of Jamil’s, the longtime south Tulsa steakhouse, doesn’t expect to open anytime soon.
“We’re not in that big a hurry, and I don’t believe it’s all (the virus threat) gone,” she said. “It blows my mind that they are going to let restaurants reopen now. We just have family working here now, and we are taking all of the precautions. I think the best idea for us right now is to explore ways to expand our curbside business.”
Joe Davidson, owner of the Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Cue restaurants in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, isn’t sure about opening May 1, but he is actively preparing his restaurants and staff for the possibility of having dine-in customers when feasible.
“I have not seen exact guidelines from the state health department, the city health department or the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, and I don’t want to make assumptions about what all of this means,” he said.
In suburban Broken Arrow, personal care businesses already are taking customers again.
To celebrate the reopening of business in the area, Elephant in the Room Men’s Grooming Lounge is providing $1 haircuts until the end of April, donating the money to Compassion International, a child sponsorship and humanitarian aid organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Teri Stevens, owner of The Barber Shop in Broken Arrow, conducted a phone interview Friday while cutting hair.
“I will say wearing the mask is horrible,” she said. “My face is so hot. Other than that, it’s a little weird because I’m used to a little more camaraderie and people being out in the waiting area and everybody talking and socializing.”
She has operated her shop at its current location for eight years.
“I’m used to a walk-in business, but I do like the appointments and people being able to come in and out of here,” she said. “It’s good crowd control and it’s good to be back at work, that’s for sure.”
A hairstylist for about 25 years, Heidi June owns June Beauty Parlor in the Pearl District. She is looking forward to returning to work, the demand for which has been “insane” since the shop closed a month ago.
“When we had that huge ice storm years ago, I had clients telling me that they would come get me and drive me to the salon,” she said. “That’s how adamant they were about getting their hair done. In this situation, there are clients that don’t care about what’s going on with their health or the rules. It’s like, ‘Do my hair.’ ”
Osage Casino Hotel-Tulsa has been closed since March 18, Osage Casinos CEO Byron Bighorse said. To prepare for a reopening of that facility and others in its family, the tribe could follow guidelines recently released by Wynn Resorts, a large, high-end casino developer based in Nevada.
That protocol could include mandatory temperature checks and face masks for guests, along with no valet service.
“This all is going to be a wait-and-see game for everybody to see how comfortable people are,” Bighorse said. “Slow and agonizing is what I told my staff and my board about a recovery and what this is going to look like.”
He thanked Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, who on Friday commended the tribes for their cooperation in preventing spread of the coronavirus.
“He gave really nice kudos to the tribes,” Bighorse said. “We didn’t have to follow those guidelines. We did this out of empathy and care for the community as a whole.
“We want to lift spirits of Oklahoma. We want to show some signs of life and getting back to normal. But we want to do it safely.”
Tulsa World reporter Rhett Morgan contributed to this story.
Featured video
Wayne Greene hosts a "Let's Talk" with Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum on opening business back up after the State issues new directives.
Altered lives: See how these Tulsans are adjusting their lives and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic
Altered lives: See how these Tulsans are adjusting their lives and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic
Altered Lives: Local bookstore transitions to online
The Frugal Bookworm, for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic, is transitioning to an online bookstore.
“With the world changing the way it is and more and more people feeling like maybe it’s not the right time to come out and risk their health, we are trying to make the smartest decisions for our customers, as well as ourselves,” co-owner Ash McCumber said.
“We really had to kind of sit down and restrategize how we think about books and business. ... And a vast majority of our customers are older. My business partner and myself are both immunocompromised. So while this is a tough decision for us to make financially, it also makes the best sense for us when it comes to our health.”
Altered Lives: Sequoyah seniors' prom
Kerry Page, the mother of a high school senior, got emotional last weekend. It wasn’t because of what her son lost. It was because of what he was given — a “barn prom for two.”
Kerry’s son, Dakota Page, is a senior at Sequoyah High School in Claremore. Dakota left school March 13 with the intent of enjoying spring break and returning to school a week later to wrap up the final chapter — the best chapter — of his senior year.
But seniors everywhere were robbed of once-in-a-lifetime moments by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their final sporting events were canceled. Their proms were scrapped. They may not get to wear caps and gowns in front of friends and family members at a commencement ceremony.
Altered Lives: Therapist Dennis England
For Dennis England, the human touch is an important part of the work he does.
“I’m a hugger by nature, and I’ve always believe that some kind of physical connection is therapeutic in some way,” said England, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who has been in private practice for the past decade.
“Whether it’s just shaking hands, giving someone a pat on the shoulder, or big old bear hug, depending on the individual’s comfort level, that physical touch is a valuable part of the bonding and communication that you need to have with the people you’re working with,” England said. “It’s part of the trust that has to develop between a client and a therapist.”
Altered lives: Tulsa County District Judge Bill LaFortune
Bill LaFortune still gets up every morning and gets ready for work. But he doesn’t dress up quite like he would normally, and, like most people these days, he doesn’t leave the house much.
There’s no donning of robes, either.
“I am able to do a tremendous amount of work here at the house with my Chromebook (computer), so it’s been a real life-saver and a game-changer,” said Tulsa County’s presiding district judge. “And I think for all the judges, as they all get them, … it is really going to allow us to keep cases moving as best we can while court is closed.”
Altered Lives: Food truck owner Megan Brister
Becoming an entrepreneur at age 27 is no small feat.
Opening your first food truck amid shelter-in-place orders for the general public is something exponentially more challenging.
But Megan Brister couldn’t be deterred by a global pandemic.
“I thought about it – but didn’t put too much thought into it – because I’ve been working toward this for so long,” said Brister, who opened the Taco Taco truck on March 21 at 8101 S. Harvard Ave.
Altered Lives: Zookeepers
The Tulsa Zoo is closed because of the coronavirus, but life goes on for the 3,000 animals and the zookeepers who tend to their daily needs.
“We’re here 365 or 366 days a year, giving care to the animals,” said Joe Barkowksi, zoo vice president for animal conservation and science.
“We’re kind of a 24/7 operations, so this isn’t really a lot different for us," he said, "except that we don’t get to enjoy the guests out here."
Altered Lives: Real estate agents Josh Rainwater and Kim Vining
For real estate agents Josh Rainwater and Kim Vining, 2020 started out to be a record-breaking year. In the first two and a half months of this year, the duo had sold more than double the number of homes as they at this time in 2019.
Then came the restrictions over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, with government officials urging citizens to practice “social distancing” and limiting the size of any public gathering to no more than 10 people.
Such restraints might seem a sure way to turn a winning streak into a losing proposition. Yet, for Rainwater and Vining, agents with Coldwell Banker Tulsa, the past few weeks have been almost business as usual.
Altered Lives: Area schools and students
Oklahoma’s kids are going to get back to the business of school on Monday from the confines of home.
But what will “distance learning” look like for a 4-year-old? How will third-graders stay on track in reading through the end of their milestone year? How will a middle- or high-schooler finish a band credit all alone?
We went right to the sources — local teachers — to find out how they’re going to make learning possible when it might seem impossible.
Altered Lives: Tulsa pastors
In a pre-coronavirus world, it would be every pastor’s worst nightmare — preaching to an empty auditorium because no one showed up for Easter services.
But that’s exactly what the Rev. Bill Scheer, pastor of Guts Church, and many other Tulsa pastors will do Sunday, Easter morning, as Americans shelter in their homes to slow the coronavirus pandemic.
And Scheer is upbeat about the situation.
“There’s a lot of negatives about this, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. They really do,” he said.
Altered Lives: Sanitation worker Doug Kackowski
There are no two ways around it — hauling trash is a tough, dirty job.
And in the age of COVID-19, it’s potentially dangerous.
Doug Kackowski doesn’t worry much about that. This garbage truck driver just does his job.
“I think I’m a little old school in my thought process,” said Kackowski, 54. “I’m kind of like, your body will get used to it. I wouldn’t let it affect me until it happens, you know, ‘cause until then, it’s a useless worry.”
Altered Lives: Personal trainer Jason Montroy
Jason Montroy was a regular visitor to the gym. Now that it’s closed, the personal trainer and Oklahoma Union coach created Montroy G & G (garage and gym) at his house. He works daily with his 9-year-old son Chase, a youth wrestler and football player.
During a hot Thursday in Collinsville, the pair did leg work on the driveway and in the garage.
“He wants to work out,” Montroy said. “It’s really cool for him to have that desire to want to do it and be shown the right way and the right form.”
An added benefit is an unexpected opportunity for father-son bonding time.
Altered Lives: Cinema owner Mike Mendenhall
Spring break usually brings popular movies to theaters for families with children out of school, and that can mean a week of “catching up for the year” financially for an independent theater owner like Mike Mendenhall at Eton Square Cinema.
This year’s COVID-19 spring break instead saw those hit movies postponed and Mendenhall closing his theater at 8421 E 61st St. for the immediate future, laying off 15 employees to go sign up for unemployment.
“We’re just shut down. It’s not like there’s any curbside service we can offer,” he said.
Altered Lives: Elementary teacher Akela Leach
As Oklahoma public schools adopt distance learning models to both continue to educate students and protect against COVID-19, the word “distance” hits hard.
Teachers like Akela Leach miss their kids fiercely.
“One moment you are with these kids every single day and you become like a caretaker away from home,” said Leach, a fifth grade teacher at Tulsa’s Lanier Elementary, “and then you’re just separated.”
Altered Lives: Food Bank executive director Lori Long
Coronavirus restrictions make this an awkward time for someone in a leadership position to change agencies.
After nearly 13 years as executive director of The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, Lori Long had to order its doors closed for what would have been her last day at work Wednesday.
On Monday, she will start as executive director of the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, unable to meet with her new staff, who are in the middle of a growing emergency situation because of the pandemic with so many people out of work and with kids out of school.
Altered Lives: Music venue owner Donnie Rich
Donnie Rich was among those who helped save, and restore, the Outsiders House.
Now he’s trying to save his business.
The Venue Shrine, a live music venue at 112 E. 18th St., is in financial danger due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The music industry — artists and venues — have been impacted by a stoppage of live music gatherings.
Altered Lives: Tulsa barber Adrian King
Adrian King told Guerin Emig early Thursday he will comply with the order to close his barber shop.
"After having some time to think things over I have decided to follow (the) 21-day shutdown order as it is the responsible and safe thing to do," King said in a text message. "In our second talk (Wednesday) I was talking from pure frustration from all that has happened in such a short time."
King closed his text with "Stay safe."
During stressful times, Fred Rogers of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” would share this message: Look for the helpers. We’re finding them, and w…
Scott Cherry
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